RuPaul's Drag Race UK 'axed by BBC' - but it's already got a new streaming home AND spin-off

A few days after its new season premiere, RuPaul's Drag Race UK is sashaying away from the BBC. But don't fret, as the British spinoff's first-ever All Stars series has found a new streaming home for fans this side of the pond.

The drag competition, which has historically aired on BBC Three and iPlayer, has confirmed to return with a brand-new All Stars edition set to air exclusively on World of Wonder's streaming platform, WOW Presents Plus, confirms Variety.

The streamer also confirmed the news in an Instagram post, calling the upcoming season "herstoric" and confirming the move onto WOW, where previous seasons of Drag Race UK and Drag Race UK vs The World will also be available on catchup.

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The post confirms the new season will air in autumn 2027 and notes: "For the first time, in the UK where members will also be able to stream all 8 past seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race UK plus all 3 seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World!"

The news comes after the BBC pulled the plug on multiple shows, including Bradley Walsh's Blankety Blank, back in July, with The Sun reporting that Drag Race has been "axed" among the broadcaster's latest casualties.

The BBC confirmed to Digital Spy in a statement that "some very difficult choices" had to be made.

"As the BBC continues to navigate significant financial pressures and deliver the savings required of us, we have had to make some very difficult choices, none of which have been taken lightly," a BBC spokesperson said.

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"We can therefore confirm together with World of Wonder, that RuPaul's Drag Race UK will be leaving the BBC and moving to WOW Presents Plus," the statement continued.

"The BBC is incredibly proud of all eleven series of this groundbreaking show and we would like to thank RuPaul, World of Wonder and everyone involved, both on and off screen. We are certain that viewers will enjoy the eighth series, which is currently airing on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three."

RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 8 airs on BBC Three and iPlayer. All previous seasons of Drag Race UK and Drag Race UK vs The World remain available to stream on iPlayer.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).